Which Pickups

[mick_600]

Hi, I'm new to the forum although having had a couple of old Tokai's for a year or so, both bought following information found on this forum or the registry so thanks.

Question is, I have 2 sets of pickups, both bought off ebay from different people at different times, one set bought as coming off an LS85 and the other off an ES 120. Both have exposed shielded wiring and both registering about 11.1kohm on the bridge and 7.75kohm on the neck. I had always assumed them to be PAF Vintage Mk2's.

That is until I bought 2003 LS70 recently in blue (actually previously pictured on this site although I didn't know that until later). This I presume should come with the PAF Vintage Mk2's but they are different readings and also plastic covered cable.

From other pics shown, I'm happy that my new guitar has correct pickups but that leaves me wondering what the others are. There are no markings but with me having got them separately to find they are identical, they must be Tokai, presumably a higher set than the PAF Vintage Mk2's.

I am interested for 2 reasons, firstly to help decide if I should change the set in my LS70 but also, I have fitted one set in my 1st Tokai which is 90's Korean ALS48 (thanks to the info on the registry) with 2 hole truss rod cover. Having now got a Japanese Love Rock, I will be selling this and want to be accurate with the description when I do.

Many thanks,
Mike

PS the other old Tokai I have is an 82ish Goldstar Sound, unfortunately resprayed body and without original pickups

 

[Anonymous]

Others will know about the pickup query, but posting pics will help. Personally, I'd like to see your Goldstar.

8)

Mike

 

[mick_600]

Thanks Stratman323 for my first response. I didn't do pics of the pickups because they look like any other proper set of unmarked humbuckers. Also, I haven't sussed out uploading pics yet !!

Pics of the goldstar, that could be my mission for tomorrow. Anything in particular you would like to see or just a pic ? It all seems correct, neck, hardware, saddles, pickup routing etc. I'm happy it is what it appears to be, just a shame it isn't all original which I 'd prefer.

Thanks
Mike

 

[Anonymous]

Try a free pic hosting site such as www.photobucket.com and post the links here. Any pics you can be bothered to take of the Goldie will be fine - there are a few of us on here who like Goldies, & it's always nice to see another one.

 

[mick_600]

A couple of updates with the goldstar, 1st have check the registry again and it looks 1984, not 82. However, panicked for bit just then, taking the pics as when the headstock caught the light and I could make out the edge of a transfer so thought there could be a problem with it.

Checked a few other guitars on the forum though and it appears they all have transfer outlines and some more noticeable than mine are, it wouldn't show in the pics.

Anyhow, here they are .... hopefully.

http://s703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/mick_600/?albumview=slideshow

or individual bigger ones

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/mick_600/P1040742.jpg
http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/mick_600/P1040744.jpg
http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/mick_600/P1040745.jpg
http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/mick_600/P1040741.jpg
http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/mick_600/P1040740.jpg

The pickups I fitted to replace the very el cheepo (cobalt squire type) pickups that were in it are a set of GFX permium alnico staggers purchased from US before the ? slumped but it have a loaded pearl scratchplate with a Fender low noise set with fender pots (also from US before ? slumped) for when I get around to trying them on it.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice, Good luck with the pickups.

8)

 

[mattim]

I think that Mics in ES-120 and LS-85 are both MK2 and the mics in LS-70 are tad "inferior" MK3.

Matti

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 2003 LS70 - or is it LS60? I couldn't work out which. It had these pickups - Mark 3s?

 

[mick_600]

Thanks Mattim, if you are right, I'll swap them.

I maybe should have been more specific though, the new guitar is an LS70F according to the stamp in the body(I think this guitar was actually sold as an LS75F when new) which is now sold as the LS85F which has PAF Mk2s.

Also I have now measured the pickups in the LS70F and they are both 8.64k ohms, not far away from gibson 57s if that helps.

 

[mick_600]

Thanks Stratman323. They are the same as my LS70F.

It appears then my 2 pairs of pickups are mk2's then ?? I didn't think to take pics of my LS70F pickups as I thought all current jap models at this level had PAF Mk2's as per the spec on the registry:-

70 Series

* Body: Flamed sycamore laminated top; Mahogany back
* Neck: Mahogany-set neck
* Fingerboard: Rosewood
* Pickups(1999+): PAF-Vintage MK2

Should this say Mk3's ? ... but this would contradict the idea that the models remained the same but increasing prices went up meaning mine would now be sold as the LS85F .... which is sold as having PAF Mk2's

Seemed a simple question and anticipated a simple answer when I asked it, didn't mean to get at fundamentals. Sorry.

........ Just thought I'd check the catalogues and the 2000 catalogue says Vintage PAF Mk2's for the LS60, LS65, LS70, LS75.

Could it be there are PAF Mk2's,PAF Mk2's and PAF Mk2's depending on the model and cost ?

........... Also checked some old catalogues, PAF Mk3's seemed to be open pickups without covers and fitted to the bolt on neck versions http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/99p9.jpg

 

[mirrorboy]

Hi, thanks for posting the Goldstar pics. It's very similar to my Pearl Pink Goldstar. Paint code for that should be PP stamped in the control cavity after the 'x=y' numbers. Pearl Pink is listed as a custom colour option on the 1985 Goldies a la TST-55.

Your 3-ply pickguard has 11 screws so it may be aftermarket replacement for the single-ply 8 screw pickguard. There may be extra screwholes under your pickguard or it could even be original.

Your Goldstar neck has thrown me because, although I'm sure it's a genuine Tokai neck, the 12th fret marker dots are spaced very close together like the (incorrect) Fender reissues. I've only seen that close spacing on maple neck on a Tokai '64 reissue, but that has a two-piece neck with a separate maple fingerboard and yours looks like a one-piece neck :-?
Don't worry, all kinds of anomalies occurred in the specifications of Tokais.

 

[nomorph]

Those with green and yellow wires are Gotoh made I think.
The new mk2 are made by keiyo and arrived around 2005 I think (info to be checked).

 

[mick_600]

Thanks Mirrorboy, Be good if it is a proper colour although it is definately sprayed, as shown by me having to take all the paint off in the neck pocket before daring to post a pic on this forum !! Judging by what I found underneath, the original colour was either black or sunburst.

The neck is one piece.

I'm sure there are more holes under the scratchplate from when I put the GFX'x in and I'll probably do the pickup /scrathplate swap today so can check. I'm more comfortable swapping the scratchplate if I know the current one isn't original.

When did they change from 8 to 11 hole ... or didn't they ? I've seen tokais with 11 hole scratchplates on here.

Any way, thanks again.

 

[mick_600]

Thanks nomorph,

That does make sense as the 2 pairs do look as though they have been hardly played, so could be pretty new. I bought the first pair max 2 years ago when I got the ALS 48.

Strange they changed the specs though unless the Mk2 just stands for Tokai 2nd best, rather than a particular spec.

Is this a question of "oldest is best" and therefore I should leave the LS70F alone, does anyone have a view on which are the better pickup, someone perhaps with 2 love rocks, one old pups and one with the newer pups ?

 

[leadguitar_323]

I have both types as well, vintage coloured wiring and shielded braided wiring, unfortunately i still have them but they live in boxes as i have changed them out.

Mick

 

[luis]

Yours are pre 2005 Gotoh pickups Mike.

MKIII are poly cable whereas MK-II are braided cable.
Recent Keiyo MKII have not any mark as old Gotoh have.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks luis - helpful as ever. 8) I thought so. They didn't seem as good as the pickups in my 2007 ES130, so I replaced them with a Duncan Pearly Gates set. I assume the ES130 has Mk IIs?

 

[mirrorboy]

Thanks Mirrorboy, Be good if it is a proper colour although it is definately sprayed, as shown by me having to take all the paint off in the neck pocket before daring to post a pic on this forum !! Judging by what I found underneath, the original colour was either black or sunburst.

The neck is one piece.

I'm sure there are more holes under the scratchplate from when I put the GFX'x in and I'll probably do the pickup /scrathplate swap today so can check. I'm more comfortable swapping the scratchplate if I know the current one isn't original.

When did they change from 8 to 11 hole ... or didn't they ? I've seen tokais with 11 hole scratchplates on here.

Any way, thanks again.

I guess I was wrong about the paint, those metallics are difficult to compare on a PC

It was Fender who changed the pickguard material in 1959 from single ply white to white/black/white three ply. They also changed from a one piece maple neck to the maple necks with rosewood fingerboards around the same time. Tokai produced both simultaneously with generally 1-ply pickguard on maple neck models and 3-ply on rosewood fingerboard models. Of course there are some exceptions to that like the 64 replica TST-70 on a recent thread in the Vintage forum.

The 12th fret marker spacing on yours is most unusual. They are spaced close together as on a rosewood fingerboard model. If you have any more info on your Goldie it might be worth opening a new thread, perhaps in the Vintage Tokai forum.

Tom

 

[Anonymous]

If you show us the underside of the scratchplate, we can tell if you if it's a Tokai or not.

 

[mick_600]

Thanks everyone for your input.

I'd be perfectly happy to accept that my LS70F has Mk3's because I have a set of Mk2's to fit. Problem is, that doesn't fit with what the registry and the catalogues say, which say they should be PAF Mk2's.

It isn't my guitar as all the others I have seen pics of on the forum are the same with plastic covered cable. including stratman 323's

Apologies again for mi-information, my guitar is 2001, not 03, indeed this is it from a previous link. http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12866&highlight=ls70f+pics . I bought it from this guy who sold it because he had 2 the same (his LS60 burst) and I paid more than the ?240 he paid but he did do all the bits and get a service and setup done.

This though is another link with a 1999 guitar with the same plastic wire pickups so if mine are Mk3's, it would appear all LC60,70,75, are also Mk3's contrary to the Tokai specs. http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12658&highlight=ls70f+pics

Could the specs in the registry and tokai catalogues be wrong ?